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Thread: Jin Yong vs. Gu Long vs. Liang Yu Sheng

  1. #1
    Senior Member sarakoth's Avatar
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    Default Jin Yong vs. Gu Long vs. Liang Yu Sheng

    They are regarded as the best wuxia authors of the 20th century.

    Each one writes with a unique style, but who is the best.

  2. #2
    Senior Member mawguy's Avatar
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    it's hard to define "best" because that's such a subjective term. you know, you gotta stop being an english teacher sometimes, mr. cheng. :P

    from a purely grammatical viewpoint, in terms of learning, sentence structure and flow, ability to make reference to chinese culture, history, literature, and idioms, liang yusheng has the best writing. it's a family background and upbringing issue.

    from a purely stylistic point of view, gu long obviously has the most unique writing. not only is his style minimalist, but his plots are bizarre, and his heroes more often "anti-heroes" than the traditional ones associated with the wuxia genre.

    to be fair, one of the reasons for jin yong's lasting popularity isn't just proliferation of adaptations and parental influence on the younger generation: jin yong's books are very entertaining. there's enough "chinese culture" to be found, enough of a balance between good and evil to make the reader feel satisfied (most of the time), but all this is made easy to grasp and modern enough to not be another one of those "classics" that are read in school.

    so, how would one choose? different styles, different upbringing, different viewpoints, different audiences, different influences, sometimes different social circumstances.

    to answer your question after that roundabout, wannabe-scholarly blurb, my personal favourite is gu long. ask me a year ago, it would have been liang yusheng -- why? translating an author's work gives you a different look at said work and said author's style. plus, i just finished reading what i consider to be gu long's best work to date in terms of stylistic perfection of setting mood and use of minimal words: tianya, mingyue, dao.
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    Moderator Ken Cheng's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by mawguy
    it's hard to define "best" because that's such a subjective term. you know, you gotta stop being an english teacher sometimes, mr. cheng. :P
    It's not "maw" thread, "guy."

    Check the *name*.

  4. #4
    Senior Member Trinie's Avatar
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    IT is also a matter of opinion as well... But it seems like the majority really like JY and think he is the best. My brother said he read a ranking of the CHinese writers and said JY is #1, GL was #5, QY was #9?(I think.. I suddenly don't remember) and other writers as well. I don't remember their rankings though. I also don't know how reliable this source was either, so please don't drill me for it....
    Last edited by Trinie; 04-10-07 at 02:30 AM.
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    Senior Member sarakoth's Avatar
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    The point of this thread is so I could hear everyone's opinions so please post your opinions

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    Senior Member Han Solo's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ken Cheng
    It's not "maw" thread, "guy."

    Check the *name*.
    Maw- stomach or mouth of an animal; Scottish slang for mother; a Dark Jedi; acronym for model, actress, whatever.

    Mawguy, then denotes - 1) someone who likes the mouth of a guy.
    2) someone who likes to mother over a guy
    3) someone who is secretly a dark jedi and aims to kill a guy?
    4) someone who is hot and is a model, actress or whatever and likes guys

    Han Solo
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    Quote Originally Posted by bliss
    I think they're probably at the same level as or one level below Ah Qing, which is about the level of a 2nd or 3rd generation Quan Zhen disciple.
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    Senior Member mawguy's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ken Cheng
    It's not "maw" thread, "guy."

    Check the *name*.
    my bad!

    my opinion still holds, though. :P
    Last edited by mawguy; 04-10-07 at 10:07 AM.
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  8. #8
    Senior Member mawguy's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Han Solo
    Maw- stomach or mouth of an animal; Scottish slang for mother; a Dark Jedi; acronym for model, actress, whatever.

    Mawguy, then denotes - 1) someone who likes the mouth of a guy.
    2) someone who likes to mother over a guy
    3) someone who is secretly a dark jedi and aims to kill a guy?
    4) someone who is hot and is a model, actress or whatever and likes guys

    Han Solo
    ha! wrong reference, however.

    this is the correct source -- do you speak cantonese? well, say the name out loud:
    $this->handle_bbcode_img_match('http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v646/mawguy/mg3.jpg')
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  9. #9
    Senior Member Han Solo's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by mawguy
    ha! wrong reference, however.

    this is the correct source -- do you speak cantonese? well, say the name out loud:
    $this->handle_bbcode_img_match('http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v646/mawguy/mg3.jpg')
    God,

    I can't read chinese.

    Sounds like Mo kwai - demon ghost.

    Han SOlo
    Wuxiapedia

    Quote Originally Posted by bliss
    I think they're probably at the same level as or one level below Ah Qing, which is about the level of a 2nd or 3rd generation Quan Zhen disciple.
    Troll Control

  10. #10
    Senior Member Temujin's Avatar
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    Gu Long is the best. A few simplistic words make poetic and powerful punts, sometimes rhymes, sometimes funny, sometimes enough to capture the mood of the story. Long paragraphs of Jin Yong does make it exciting the first time around, but once you grow out of it, it gets redundant. So Gu Long is the best to me.

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  11. #11
    Senior Member mawguy's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Han Solo
    God,

    I can't read chinese.

    Sounds like Mo kwai - demon ghost.

    Han SOlo
    close enough. it's pronounced "mawguy" (hence the nickname). it is the transliteration of the chinese translation of The One Ring -- er, know your Tolkien?
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  12. #12
    Senior Member sarakoth's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by mawguy
    close enough. it's pronounced "mawguy" (hence the nickname). it is the transliteration of the chinese translation of The One Ring -- er, know your Tolkien?
    I've always thought jie was pronounced gei, not guy, but I don't speak Cantonese.

  13. #13
    Moderator kidd's Avatar
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    It's pronounced as 'gaai' which is very close to 'guy'.
    什麼是朋友?朋友永遠是在你犯下不可原諒錯誤的時候,仍舊站在你那邊的笨蛋。~ 王亞瑟

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  14. #14
    Senior Member sarakoth's Avatar
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    Ok guys, let's get back on topic.

    Please post your opinion on which of the three you think is the best author and why.

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    Moderator Ken Cheng's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Han Solo
    Maw- stomach or mouth of an animal; Scottish slang for mother; a Dark Jedi; acronym for model, actress, whatever.

    Mawguy, then denotes - 1) someone who likes the mouth of a guy.
    2) someone who likes to mother over a guy
    3) someone who is secretly a dark jedi and aims to kill a guy?
    4) someone who is hot and is a model, actress or whatever and likes guys

    Han Solo
    Also "maw"...how many people in the American South pronounce "my."

  16. #16
    Senior Member PeterBanh's Avatar
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    I like both Jin Yong and Gu Long tv series. They are both great, but I like Jin Yong a little more. At least we know the setting, timeline and the events make more sense whereas we don't know the setting and timeline in Gu Long series and the events are more unpredictable...
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  17. #17
    Senior Member sarakoth's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by PeterBanh
    I like both Jin Yong and Gu Long tv series. They are both great, but I like Jin Yong a little more. At least we know the setting, timeline and the events make more sense whereas we don't know the setting and timeline in Gu Long series and the events are more unpredictable...
    I kind of wanted you guys to share opinions on novels and writings abilities but since adaptations are brought up.....

  18. #18
    Senior Member Trinie's Avatar
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    Yea, we are talking about the actual novels and writing skills of these authors, NOT the TV adaptions that they are based on.
    Respect other people's opinions and views. If we learn how to do that than all of these fights and arguments will not occur.

  19. #19
    Senior Member sarakoth's Avatar
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    Personally, I prefer Jin Yong's happy tone.

    I think the stories by the other two authors are too unhappy.

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